Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Robert Ferendale.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ngwathe Local Municipality has handed over a memorandum to the municipality, responding to persistent community appeals. This action follows repeated calls from the community to restore full water capacity, and clean water, and resolve the debt problem with the Rand Water Board. Please see the pictures here, here, here and here.
It is imperative to recognise that clean drinking water is citizens’ constitutional right, and Ngwathe is legally obliged to provide it. Currently, water flow from the Rand Water Board (RWB) to Heilbron is reduced as a debt collection measure, owing to overdue debts of approximately R70m for bulk water purchases. Moreover, there is a looming threat of even sharper restrictions by RWB, exacerbating the water crisis.
To address this crisis, we urge immediate action:
- The DA calls upon the Ngwathe Local Municipality to take the lead in negotiating a debt settlement agreement with RWB to prevent further water shortages.
- We demand the immediate resumption of normal water flow to Heilbron.
The water crisis in Heilbron is a consequence of mismanagement and is entirely avoidable. The DA is committed to enhancing service delivery in all municipalities under its governance. Therefore, one of the central focuses of the DA’s manifesto for the general election on 29 May is the consistent provision of quality services, including uninterrupted access to water.
The DA pledges to persist in advocating for the resolution of this issue in Heilbron, ensuring the community’s fundamental right to clean water is upheld.